Wills Lifestyle partners Franchise India to grow store network across metros and Tier 2 cities

ITC's Wills Lifestyle has tied up with Franchise India Brands to expand its exclusive fashion outlets nationwide via the franchise route, targeting both metros and Tier 2 markets. The chain retails three brands: Wills Classic, Wills Sport and Wills Clublife.

— FiledFri, 3 Jul, 2026, 05:33 IST·First seen Fri, 3 Jul, 2026, 05:33 IST·Source Financial Express · BrandWagon

What happened

ITC's Wills Lifestyle has partnered with Franchise India Brands to expand its exclusive fashion store network across India via the franchise route, targeting

Key facts

  • 14 years

Why this matters

The Franchise India partnership marks Wills Lifestyle's shift to franchise-led scaling, opening potential for regional franchise consolidation and Tier 2 distribution plays.

What to watch

  • Disclosed net new store openings per quarter vs stated targets
  • Franchisee sign-up numbers and any early closure/churn reports
  • Wills Lifestyle same-store sales / apparel segment margin in ITC results
  • Discounting intensity and inventory markdowns signaling demand softness
  • Competitor EBO expansion (Trends, Max, Zudio) in same Tier-2 corridors
  • ITC likely to announce store-count targets and city clusters within 1-2 quarters to signal commitment
  • Refresh of Wills Classic/Sport/Clublife assortment and pricing tiers to fit Tier-2 wallets
  • Franchise India to run partner-recruitment drives and standardize store formats/kits
  • Possible tie-ins with ITC's other consumer channels (loyalty, e-commerce) to drive footfall